Yankees See Price Tag For Ideal 3B Trade Target Skyrocket

It's no secret the Yankees aren't happy with the production they are getting out of Ryan McMahon at third base.

The Yankees might have to pay extra to trade for a potential third baseman upgrade this season. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Time is money, and no one knows that better than Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. That's because one of his potential trade targets is getting hotter by the day, driving up his price tag before the Aug. 3 deadline.

It's no secret that the Phillies came into the 2026 season not enamored with third baseman Alec Bohm. Yet despite attempts to send him packing, Bohm started the season in the City of Brotherly Love.

Bohm didn't help his cause early, hitting just .151 with one home run and a .426 OPS in March and April. But it's been a different story in May, which sees Bohm hitting .339 with four home runs and a .985 OPS.

The difference? The Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson and named former New York Yankees captain Don Mattingly the club's interim skipper. Both the Phillies as a whole and Bohm in particular have embraced the change in the dugout.

Bohm goes boom

The Phillies are 16-6 under Mattingly, and Bohm is tied for the longest current hitting streak at 11 games.

And Bohm's turnaround couldn't have come at a better time since he will be a free agent after the 2026 season.

Still, the Philies could be persuaded to move on from Bohm, who has been the club's regular third baseman since 2020.

Alec Bohm's turnaround is what he needed, even if it makes it harder for the Yankees to acquire him. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

"Top prospect Aidan Miller is waiting in the wings, except he hasn't played in the minors because of a back injury," ESPN's David Schoenfield wrote last month. "There's a scenario in which Miller gets healthy, hits his way to the majors and the Phillies trade Bohm to clear room for Miller."

The problem is, how can the Phillies justify trading the red-hot Bohm, who has been a big part of the club's resurrection under Mattingly?

If the Yankees want to target Bohm, they need to hope the Phillies cool off, forcing president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski's hand before the trade deadline.

"If they sell, Alec Bohm feels like a change of scenery candidate," FanSided's Robert Murray noted last week.

Bohm's price tag rising

Bohm is on the books this year for $10.2 million, according to Spotrac. So from a financial perspective, he wouldn't cripple the Yankees. But with every hit he gets, and with every whiff current Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon produces, Bohm's price tag rises.

"The Yankees’ farm system is stocked with MLB-ready talent in the upper levels, which could help them fill gaps or trade for reinforcements," The Athletic's Jim Bowden wrote Tuesday. "They are still not getting enough offense from third base and could improve the bullpen as well going forward."

Of course, with Jose Caballero returning from the injured list, it's possible the Yankees try to ride it out with the trio of Caballero, McMahon and Anthony Volpe rotating through the left side of the infield.

Ultimately Cashman will need to decide how much is too much to move on from McMahon.